France have recalled scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde but named utility back Cedric Heymans on the bench for Saturday's Six Nations Championship ttle decider against Wales in Cardiff.

Elissalde wins the battle for the number-nine jersey over Dimitri Yachvili, who impressed in Sunday's 25-13 win over Italy. Toulouse star Heymans was expected to return to the starting XV after being rested for the Italy game, but he cannot oust Anthony Floch at fullback and must settle for a place among the replacements.

Elsewhere in the backs, David Skrela gets the nod over Francois Trinh-Duc at outhalf, while there are returns for in-form winger Vincent Clerc and centre Damien Traille.

Head coach Marc Lievremont keeps the same front five that started against Italy, but there are two changes in the backrow.

Julien Bonnaire is promoted from the bench and is selected at number eight, while flanker Thierry Dusautoir also returns.

Montpellier youngster Fulgence Ouedraogo was expected to drop to the bench but he is retained, meaning Elvis Vermeulen — recalled to the squad after being sidelined with broken ribs since the opening-round victory against Scotland — is named as a substitute.

Clermont-Auvergne number eight Vermeulen scored the last-gasp try that sealed the title for France, on points difference over Ireland, in the final game of last season's Six Nations.

Les Bleus need to beat the Welsh by at least 20 points this weekend to retain the title they have won for the past two years.

They have beaten Scotland, Ireland and Italy so far this tournament, with their only defeat coming at home to England.

Lievremont admitted the selections for the full-back and scrum-half positions had been the most difficult.

On the decision to pick Elissalde over Yachvili, Lievremont said: "They are at a very close level at the moment.

"Perhaps Jean-Baptiste's management of the game and his ability to lead his forwards gave him the advantage."

On the retention of Floch, who made his first Test start at the weekend, at the expense of Heymans, Lievremont added: "Anthony had a very good game against Italy and I want to see him again.

"Heymans still has a big part to play."

Lievremont said Ouedraogo was keeping Vermeulen on the bench because of his "great work offensively and defensively since the start of the tournament".

"We will use the power of Elvis Vermeulen later in the match," added the Les Bleus coach.

Lievremont admitted France would need to get the basics right before they could even contemplate beating Wales, unbeaten so far in this Six Nations, by the necessary margin to retain the title.

"First we need to match the Welsh and we need to play our own rugby," he said. "There is a big points gap and to deprive them of the Grand Slam and win by 20 points will be difficult."

France: A Floch (Clermont-Auvergne); V Clerc, Y Jauzion (both Toulouse), D Traille (Biarritz), J Malzieu (Clermont-Auvergne); D Skrela (Stade Francais), J-B Elissalde (Toulouse); F Barcella (Auch), D Szarzewski (Stade Francais), N Mas (Perpignan), L Nallet (Castres, capt), J Thion (Biarritz), T Dusautoir (Toulouse), F Ouedraogo (Montpellier), J Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne).

Replacements: W Servat, J-B Poux (both Toulouse), A Mela (Albi), E Vermeulen (Clermont-Auvergne), D Yachvili (Biarritz), F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), C Heymans (Toulouse).